Horatio: Character Analysis In Hamlet, William Shakespeare writes about an extremely upset prince named Hamlet, seeking the revenge on the person responsible for the death of his father, King Hamlet. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Hamlet was on the verge of losing all faith in the fact that all men have a goodness in them and he would have had it not been for his most loyal friend, Horatio. Many believe that Horatio is just in the play to informant between the characters and the audience, but he was much more than that. Hamlet and Horatio both met when they studied together at the University of Wittenburg and have been each other’s best friends since then. They were connected by their open minds and see the world as a place of many possibilities.
…show more content…
He is there to keep each and every one of the characters updated on what is going on and to let the audience know that Hamlet is the one true victim of the play. If there was no Horatio during the first sighting of the dead king, the audience would have to believe that Hamlet was in fact going mad due to his father dying, his uncle, Claudius marrying his widowed mother, Gertrude and stealing the crown that was meant to be his. Horatio is there to bring the reality and honesty to us as the audience so we are able to understand what it is he is thinking and believing. He also plays the informant to Hamlet by letting him know when he is making an unwise choice. For instance when Hamlet is extremely tempted to follow the ghost of his father, “ What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord, or to the dreadful summit of the cliff that beetles o’er his base into the sea, and there assume some other horrible form, which might deprive you sovereignty of reason and draw you into madness?” (Lines 77-82) This line is an amazing line of foreshadowing for the rest of the play. Horatio is saying that Hamlet will eventually lose all sense of any kind of reason and will soon be walking the fine line of madness. Another example of Horatio being the sign of reasoning is when he warns Hamlet about challenging Laertes to a fencing match. “You will lose, my lord.” (189) He even offers to defend him to get him out of the match. “If your mind dislike anything, …show more content…
Horatio is sworn to secrecy of multiple secrets between him and Hamlet. The first being not telling anyone about Hamlet following the spirit of the King. This simple act show just how much Hamlet trusts Horatio. “Horatio, thou art e’en as just a man as e’er my conversation cop’d withal.” (56-57) He is the only one who knows that Hamlet is faking the madness that everyone is worried and confused about. Horatio is the man that Hamlet wishes he could be. He is extremely rational, not one to be quick and jump to immediate actions, he is thoughtful of everyone else and he is not a pensive person like Hamlet. Based off the critical two moments in the first and last scene, if Hamlet had listened to the advice that Horatio was offering him at the time, Hamlet would have continued to
He is there to keep each and every one of the characters updated on what is going on and to let the audience know that Hamlet is the one true victim of the play. If there was no Horatio during the first sighting of the dead king, the audience would have to believe that Hamlet was in fact going mad due to his father dying, his uncle, Claudius marrying his widowed mother, Gertrude and stealing the crown that was meant to be his. Horatio is there to bring the reality and honesty to us as the audience so we are able to understand what it is he is thinking and believing. He also plays the informant to Hamlet by letting him know when he is making an unwise choice. For instance when Hamlet is extremely tempted to follow the ghost of his father, “ What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord, or to the dreadful summit of the cliff that beetles o’er his base into the sea, and there assume some other horrible form, which might deprive you sovereignty of reason and draw you into madness?” (Lines 77-82) This line is an amazing line of foreshadowing for the rest of the play. Horatio is saying that Hamlet will eventually lose all sense of any kind of reason and will soon be walking the fine line of madness. Another example of Horatio being the sign of reasoning is when he warns Hamlet about challenging Laertes to a fencing match. “You will lose, my lord.” (189) He even offers to defend him to get him out of the match. “If your mind dislike anything, …show more content…
Horatio is sworn to secrecy of multiple secrets between him and Hamlet. The first being not telling anyone about Hamlet following the spirit of the King. This simple act show just how much Hamlet trusts Horatio. “Horatio, thou art e’en as just a man as e’er my conversation cop’d withal.” (56-57) He is the only one who knows that Hamlet is faking the madness that everyone is worried and confused about. Horatio is the man that Hamlet wishes he could be. He is extremely rational, not one to be quick and jump to immediate actions, he is thoughtful of everyone else and he is not a pensive person like Hamlet. Based off the critical two moments in the first and last scene, if Hamlet had listened to the advice that Horatio was offering him at the time, Hamlet would have continued to